“At one base, a jeep drove up and a soldier said he couldn’t believe we were there. He told his commanding officer and the officer couldn’t believe it either. He had to see it with his own eyes. He asked if we could come to his outpost after and give out mishloach manot to his friends,” explained Stan Hillelsohn, chairman of the OU Israel Commission. “It was supposed to be an early day because we had only arrived in Israel that morning, but we went over there and the soldiers were singing and dancing.”

As the children entered the transformed room, their eyes widened. The walls were draped in color, the floor was carpeted in Persian style rugs… in one corner King Solomon presided in purple robes on a red velvet throne, the Beit Hamikdash in full view through the window – some of the children literally jumped when they heard the trumpets announcing his entrance.

On a clear day in Gush Etzion, you can see for miles. And if you know the history of the region, you can feel its spirit in your bones. You drive along the highway, pass the different yishuvim, point out Yeshivat Har Etzion, fall silent where hundreds fell in the War of Independence and you hear the place crying out triumphantly, “Am Yisrael Chai.”

The Seymour J. Abrams Jerusalem World Center, headquarters of OU Israel, is a hub of Torah study, Jewish culture and spiritual growth. The center provides a warm, embracing environment, spiritual inspiration, and a familiar social framework for Anglo olim.